Time Designs

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MAGAZINE | .

FOR THE TS 2068 AND ALL OTHER TIMEX AND SINCLAIR COMPUTERS

oOPEGIAL
COMPUTER

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VOL.1NO.2
JAN.—FEB.

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~| DeSAghs

MAGAZINE

FOR THE TS 2068 AKD ALL OTHER TIWEX AKD SINCLAIR COMPUTERS

SPECIAL
COMPUTER Interview: "Where are we going?" 2
TELECOMMUNICATIONS | O Bits and Pieces 4
TELECOMMUNI CATIONS
Comparing The Data Base Services 7
T/S BBS 9
T/S Modems 10
Editor/Publisher:Tim Woods Review of the MTERM II 12

Assistant to the Editor:Stephanie

Screen Display Storage and
Woods tape e

Memory Relocate 13
Software Reviews, Special Assign- TS 2068/Spectrum-Wares 15
ments, and Photography:Tom Judd
‘ ; ; : Review of Ant Attack 16
a2~Special Contributor:Dennis Jurries
Russell Electronics "Romswitch" 17

Consultant:M.J. Marsh

: . Make A Static Discharge
Special thanks for the kind words Bracelet 19
of encouragement from the CCATS

and PATS user groups in Oregon. Breaking and Saving 2068

? : - ; ; Programs 21
Time Designs Magazine is published

bi-monthly and is copyrighted©@1985

: : : Programs 22
by the Time Designs Magazine Co.

SOFTWARE REVIEWS

Reproduction of this magazine in The Great Game and Graphics
whole or in part by electronic, Show 23

mechanical, or any other means,
without written permission is

eKits bh is Compass Compiler/Assembler 24
prohibite y law. :

2 Programs from Executive

Subscriptions: $15 for one year (six Workshop 25
issues). Single issue price is $3.

Postage is included and paid by THE SHOPPING MART 26
Time Designs Magazine for each issue. ae

Direct all subscription inquiries
and correspondence to:Time Designs
Magazine, 29722 Hult Rd.,Colton,OR,
97017.

Time Designs Magazine is printed
by:Toad'L Litho Printing and Con-
position, 358 Warner Milne Rd.,
Oregon City,OR 97045

?

AN

“WHERE ARE

NOTE: We have received a good deal

of correspondence lately, concerning
the direction that TIME DESIGNS
MAGAZINE is going, also our views

on the stability of’ the Timex and
Sinclair computer market that remains,
and our long range goals. The staff
decided to interview the Editor/
Publisher of our magazine, Tim Woods,
who has more or less been the brain-
child of our operations. This is an
attempt to clarify several issues
that have developed from questions

by our readers. The regular "EDITOR-
IAL" column that is usually featured
in this section, will return next
issue in its normal format.

Time Designs Staff: What led you to
publish a Timex/Sinclair magazine,
especially when the situation appeared
to be rather bleak after the Timex
announcement?

Tim Woods: It was shortly after that
bad news that I began to wonder how
long it would be until the companies
that had gambled large investments

in the Timex/Sinclair after-market,
would drop out. And I included the
big full color gloss magazines like
SYNC and TIMEX/SINCLAIR USER. Lucky
for TIMEX/SINCLAIR USER, they had
just sold their magazine to another
outfit before Timex dropped the bomb.
The new owner struggled along for
several months, claiming to soon pub-
lish an issue, but never did. As for
SYNC, they just had too much over-
head. With so many big advertising
accounts dropping out, they called

it quits. It was at that time, I saw
a real need for TS users to continue
to have a quality magazine. I knew
that a costly publication like SYNC
wasn't feasible, but a more budget-
minded magazine, still maintaining
all af the standard features.

T.D.S.: Aren't there still some other
TS magazines out there?

7

See ome

INTERVIEW WITH THE EDITOR/PUBLISHER

OF T.D.M,

WE GOING?”

T.W.: Yes there are. And some good
ones too. SYNTAX has been around for
a long time. Its published by the
Harvard Group and is quite expensive.
I believe that they are up to $48

for a years subscription! They are
essentially a newsletter format, but
each issue is packed with a lot of
information and usually the very
latest news. There is TS HORIZONS
which is a newer magazine with a
smaller-than-usual size for a mag-
azine, but seems to be very infor-
mative and feature packed. There is
also SYNCWARE NEWS. It is edited by
Thomas Woods, who has gained a rep-
utation for his excellent software.
His magazine is quite technical in
content, and may be hard to compre-
hend by newer TS users, but never

the less, is a very good publication.
Also the all-program newsletter
"BASIC" is still available the last
time I heard. In my opinion, I think
the best magazines for your money

are the British Sinclair publications
like ZX COMPUTING, if you can get
them in your area. They are simply
excellent, just crammed with feature
articles and programs.

T.D.S.: Do we detect that you don't
like magazines that are overly tech-
nical?

Tie No, that is. a2st -trué.2 its" just
that I don't feel a computer magazine
should be devoted entirely to a "mach-
ine:''' I feel that there is a human-
istic aspect of being a computer user
also. Don't get me wrong, I really
enjoy reading the latest programming
tricks and construction project art-
icles just like the next guy. But I
feel its nice to have somewhat of a
people-orientated magazine also. Lets
just say, borrowing the term, "user
friendly".

_especially by readers who are con-

~ azine.

T.D.S.: How long do you plan on pub-
lishing Time Designs Magazine?
T.W. :5T> get asked that quite often,

idering a subscription to the mag-
I must say that we will con-
tinue to print a magazine as long

as there is interest in Timex and
Sinclair computers. I know for sure
we will be in business at least this
year and most likely the one after
that. After that, who knows? Maybe
tall the end-of-the 60's.

T.D.S.: Do you think the same thing
could happen to your magazine that
happened to SYNC and TIMEX/SINCLAIR
USER?

T.W.: No. Definitely not. For one
thing we haven't invested a fortune
in our product right from the start.
We are not full color, gloss and
over 70 pages thick. What we want

to do is grow gradually, and not put
everything on the line from the start.
Sure, someday soon we may have a
color cover, and each issue we plan
on adding some more pages. But we
don't want to make ourselves vulner-
able, just flexible.

T.D.S.: How successful was your first

~~. .
/ “Assue?

Tr.W.:-.I was rather pleased. Although
it took a few more months to get it
out than we expected. We received
some nice letters congradulating us
on our efforts, and some objective
Suggestions for some new features
that we will incorporate in future
issues. I see room for improvement,
and we will do just that with each
consecutive issue. As far as sales,

I thought we did exceedingly well for
a first issue.

T.D.S.: What do you think you can
achieve for a readership circulation?
TeW.:- 1 think the key to that’ question
is attempting to reach the more than
two million TS users in the U.S.

Just the other day someone overheard
me in a discussion on TS computers,
and spoke up and said, "you mean you
really use those little things,...
I've had one around for sometime,

but never figured out how to put the
darn thing to use." It just goes to

y~show you, that there are a lot of

-

—

Editor/Publisher Tim Woods of Time Designs Magazine

people out there who would like to
learn more about their computers. I
think that TS user groups are great,
but they have not reached the entire
public. There are a lot of new users
out there to recruit. To get back

to your question, I would like to
see our humble little magazine reach
1,000 subscribers by sometime this
year. The big magazines that are now
defunct, claimed to have at one time
hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
T.D.S.: Are you a magazine primar-
ily for the TS 2068?

T.W.: When we first started out,
this was in our plans. At least to
have a heavy emphasis on that mach-
ine. It was a computer that was just
dumped on the public shortly before
its parent company split for good.
The published information on the TS
2068 was very sparse. However, now
that we have received many requests
for support of the TS 1000/ZX81, we
won't short-change this fine machine
either. We want to also feature Sin-
clair's QL and Spectrum, and any
other computer that Sinclair has
made or will introduce in the fut-
ure. And of course the TS 2068 will
be right at the top too.

T.D.S.: Tell us. some of your future
plans for the magazine.

The M-Script Word Processor
package is available from 21st Cen-
tury. Electronics, 6813: Polk Street,
Guttenberg, NJ, 07093. M-Script is
also a word processor that has been
available for other personal conm-
puters from IBM and Radio Shack.
The reason why there is a version
available for the TS 2068, has to
explain that.it was up for Timex's
approval. M-Script is a very comp-
rehensive word processor, and in-
cludes a 72 page manual.

For $300 for the MT Spirit,
and $70 for the M-Script, you could
own a genuine Timex. Well, sort of.

TS 2068 PRODUCTS FOR EXPERIMENTERS
FROM THE JOHN OLIGER COMPANY

The JOHN OLIGER COMPANY is
offering several experimenter
boards for the Timex/Sinclair
2068. They include a User Cart-
ridge Board, with empty sockets
for eproms (2 2764s or 2 27128s),
an Expansion Board, complete with
an RGB monitor interface circuit
and a feedthrough rear edge con-
nector, and the just recently
announced 2068 Eprom Programmer.
While the User Cartridge Board
utilizes the cartridge slot in the
side compartment of the TS 2068,
the Expansion Board plugs into the
rear edge connector. Other boards
like the 2068 Eprom Programmer
(and ones that will be released in
the future) plug into the Expansion
Board. The Eprom Programmer also
requires the optional Vpp Power
Supply Board, or similar power
supply.

All of the John Oliger Co.
products are available as a bare
printed circuit board (you supply
the parts), or as a kit with parts,
and also fully assembled and tested.
The instructions for the kits are
fairly limited (includes a schematic)
and are most likely not designed
for the first time kit builder.

Also to be available soon,
is a Centronics type parallel print-
er interface board for the TS 2068.
There are also some experimenter
boards available for the TS 1000/
ZX81.

For further information on
the boards, and a current price
list, peease send a S.A.§.2; to:
The John Oliger Co., 11601 Whidbey
Dr., Cumberland, IN, 46229.

ERRATA

It was reported in our Nov./
Dec. 1984 issue that we would be
featuring the articles "A Flight
Instructor Reviews The Timex Flight
Simulator Cartridge Software", and
"How To Make Music With The TS 2068
Part Two", in our current issue. We
are Still in the process of -complet-
ing these two features, and will
most likely have them available in
our March/April 1985 issue of- Time
Designs Magazine. We apologize to
everyone for this inconvenience.
However, we did manage to come up
with some nice articles to take
their place. We hope you will agree.

UPCOMING
IN OUR NEXT ISSUE

*Directory of TS User Groups in
the U.S.and Canada.

*6 (yes six!) reviews of software
for the 48k ZX Spectrum.

*How to order software and per-
ipherals from overseas.

*A Machine Code routine by Dennis
Jurries.

*How to repair ribbon connectors.

*An introduction to Sinclair BASIC.

*The latest TS news, user written
programs and much more in store
for you!

~~

TELCOMMUNICATIONS

COMPARING THE DATA BASE SERVICES

Justifying the need for a per-
sonal home computer has been a prob-
lem for many a prospective buyer. Tv
commercials haven't helped one bit
either, with their guilt-ridden ads
telling parents that their little one

is going to be a failure if they don't

indulge. And it isn't certain that
keeping ones financial records and
checkbook on a cassette tape is more
convenient. Arcade and adventure
games are interesting, but really
only passing thrills.

A telecommunications modem can
bring many things into perspective.
The almost infinite supply of infor-
mation and specialty services avail-
able to the home computer buyer, is
probably the best reason for someone
to own a microcomputer. And you don't
need spendy Apple and IBM machines
™) retrieve all of the information
wid services. A Timex/Sinclair works
just fine. Either TS 2068 or TS 1000,
it doesn't matter. All you need is
a computer, a compatible modem, some
special software, and a telephone
fine to-connect into.

Have you ever wanted to book
your own airline reservation? How
about your own investment service
right there in your home? Send a
letter to a friend via electronic
mail. How about an instant movie or
restaurant guide? Want to read any
current major magazine or newspaper?
Go "on-line" with another TS user
and have a chat, or leave messages
on an electronic bulletin board. All
of this (plus a whole lot more) can
be obtained by a home computer and
modem, using commercial data base
services.

A data base is essentially a
pooling of information from a wide
variety of sources, or individual
-sases. One commercial data base may
ive hundreds of seperate data bases
under its wing. Usually the infor-
mation is stored and sorted in large

main frame computers. When a ser-
vice is dialed, one computer con-
verses with the other. In fact,
when using the commercial services,
it is like having your own private
remote terminal.

There are quite a few commer-
cial data base services available.
New ones are cropping up on a reg-
ular basis. Most computer owners
choose just one major service, one
that best suits individual needs.
Sometimes receiving a coupon with
a brand new modem for free member-
ship or "on-line" time, is the only
influencing factor, that prompts
someone to select a particular
service. There are some differences
among the commercial services.
Prices can vary for the on-line
rates, and is usually billed for
every minute that you use. Some
services charge for an initial fee
or membership. There are sometimes,
a user manual to be purchased, or
it might be included free. Contents
of ‘the data base service can be
widely different also. Some are more
orientated towards business, some
for entertainment, others are gen-

eral interest. Ther is even one that

has some features specifically for
Timex/Sinclair users.

Before going on-line, a pass-
word and an» identification number
must be acquired and typed in. Dif-
ferent data base services have their
own method of logging on. A tele-
phone number of the service in your
area must also be secured. This
could be a real problem if you live
in a rural area, or one that is
not close to a major metropolitain
area serviced by the data base. A
phone bill for just one session
could bankrupt such a user. Some
of the larger services have avail-
able special phone lines that have
been leased from telephone companies
to provide their customers with a
type of volume discount. This could
help quite a bit, and should be in-

vestigated.

One other thing needs to be
“™“aken into consideration. Adjusting
the modem's parameters to be con-
patible with the host services com-
puter. Parity, duplex, stop bits,
and word length should all be set
properly. This information can be

obtained by contacting the data base
directly,

In the following section, is a
brief review of a few of the more
popular data base services. It is
by no means a complete list of all
the offerings a user has. Included
are general features, costs, and an
address and toll free phone number
where the service can be reached
for further information.

COMPUSERVE: This is perhaps the
largest and the oldest service
available. It includes everything
from comparing new automobiles,
weather forecasts for your city,
and playing text adventure games
with other computer users. One
rather pleasant suprise is that
/-Compuserve offers some special
services exclusively for TS users.
This particular service has no
listing in the main or sub-menus,
but is included in the "Computers
and Electronics Magazine Special
Interest Group" section (CEM SIG).
After logging onto Compuserve,
print "GO CEM 450" and enter.
Once in, there are bulletin and
message boards, and on-line live
conferences in progress. On Wed-
nesday evenings (7:00P.M. PDT)
are held special nation-wide con-
ferences. Usually there is a
quantity of information being
exchanged on TS hard and software,
technical advice, and sometimes
just plain rumour. Occaisonally,
TS after-market dealers will get
together and converse. One other
area of the CEM SIG that benefits
TS users, is the XA data base
(section 4). Here one can down-
load programs stored in the data
--base memory, providing that your
iodem's software is capable. With
“all of the standard features like

electronic home shopping and up
to the minute stock exchange re-
ports, coupled with the TS section
(CEM 450), Compuserve is certainly
hard to beat. Cost: One time fee
which includes the starter pack
(three-ringed binder, manual, ID
number and password, and three
free hours of use in a sealed
envelope) for $40. Compuserve
Starter pack can be purchased
direct or from most larger con-
puter retail stores. Hourly rates
are $12 during peak periods, $6
for off hours.

Compuserve

500 Arlington Center Blvd.

Columbus, OH 43220

(800) 848-8199 |

THE SOURCE: The Source is a sub-
Sidary of the Readers Digest Assn.
who are known traditionally for
their quality services and prod-
ucts. The Source organization is
also committed to offering the.
computer/modem user a large,
Sophisticated commercial data
base of noted quality. Just to
name a few, services include a
24 hour investment "center" by
Spear Securities, "Sourcemail"
electronic mail service, an air-
line guide, storage of files and
data, and all the news and sports.
Actually, Compuserve and The Source
compare quite closely with infor-
mation and telecommunication
services. The Source however,
does not have a Timex/Sinclair
Special interest group. There are
interest groups for just about
every other home computer though.
Costs: $100 one time membership
fee. To join, contact The Source
directly. The Source users manual
is an aditional $20. Hourly rates
for prime time are $20.75; off hours
are $7.75. There is also a monthly
minimum of $10.
The Source i
1616 Anderson Rd.
i

>

McLean, VA 22102
(800) 336-3366

DELPHI: The Delphi data base
fontains a variety of useful
rvices, but on a somewhat

smaller scale than say Compu-
serve. Offerings include a 20,
000 entry encyclopedia, consumer
information, financial advice
and services, a professional
advisory service for personal
relationships, and others. Delphi
plans to add many more features
in the coming year ahead. Costs:
Initial fee of $50 which includes
a membership package and handbook.
Hourly rates are $16 during bus-
iness hours, $6 off hours.

Delphi

3 Blackstone St.

Cambridge, MA 02159

(800) 544-4005

DIALOG and THE KNOWLEDGE INDEX:
From the Silicon Valley, Calif.
come the two huge data base/info
services that are a subsidary of
the Lockheed Corp. The Dialog
information retrieval system is
snore geared to business and pro-
“ essional laypersons. It includes
more than 100 million seperate
entries, derived from books,
magazines, newspapers, journals
and directories. Subjects cover
all areas of science, technology,
business, medicine, current affairs,
social sciences and humanities.
Due to the complexity of Dialogs
data bases, special training sessions
are scheduled frequently for all
skill levels of the users. The Know-
ledge Index on the other hand is
the information service for home
computer users. The service is only
available during the off hours,
and makes use of many of the data
bases contained in Dialog, plus
several others of interest to the
general public. Costs: For Dialog,
there is no initial fee, but hourly
charges range from $10 to $100 or
more, depending on the specific
area being searched. For The Know-
ledge Index, there is a $35 initial
‘fee which includes a users manual.

Hourly rates are $24 (off hours).
Dialog/Knowledge Index
3460 Hillview Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94304
(800) 227-1927 (for. Dialog)
C860) “227-5510: “(forth ts)

NEWSNET: Here is another. business
related information retrieval ser-
vice with implications for personal
home computer use. NewsNet is just
that, a network of news storing
data bases. Over 200 publications.
Also, news "flashes" and wire ser-
vices from UPI are featured. News-
Net has a very user friendly menu-
select feature. Costs: There is no
initial fee. Hourly rates are $24,
with a $15 per month minimum. Some
individual bases have sur-charges.

NewsNet

94S Haverford Rd.

Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

(800) 345-1301

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Almost as popular (if not more)
as the commercial data base services,
are the privately operated data bases
or bulletin board services (BBS).
Most BBS are run by computer hobby-
ists with systems on a small scale.
Most systems are simply a microcon-
puter, a modem, a floppy-disk drive,
and some appropriate software (avail-
able commercially), sometimes written
entirely in BASIC. The number of BBS
are growing at an outstanding rate,
so much so that a few publications
have taken over the job of trying to
list such BBS nationwide. The good
news is that just about everyone is
free, and most likely there is one
operating in your area.

BBS interests range in many
different areas, from adventure game
enthusiasts to chess clubs, and many
seperate microcomputer groups. In-
dividual BBS may contain different
services. For example, a computer
club may have on-going equipment
SWapping, question and answer clin-
ics, mail and messages service, and
programs for down-loading.

Timex/Sinclair related BBS have
taken a slow start, but a few have
emerged, and plans for others are
underway. We have included a listing
of TS BBS that we know of, and there
might be some others out there. All
it takes is a phone call to open the
door to a brand new source of infor-
mation and ideas for your TS con-
puter. Please take into consider-
ation the one rule that is common
With all BBS: be courteous, and no
obusive language.

Zebra Systems BBS”

Woodhaven, NY (718) 296-2229
~s, River Cities Smart BBS

Paden City, WV (304) 652-1416
Pheonix BBS

Dover, DE (302) 734-0179
ONLINE BBS

Atlanta, GA 1 (800) 438-2438
INTERCOMEX

Denver, CO (303) 367-1935

This list will be up-dated in future

issues.

%} 1/S MODEMS @&

The heart' of all computer
telecommunications is the: moden.
Modem stands for MOdulate/DEMod-
ulate. It works over the telephone
line by sending special tones that
are assigned to each O and 1 in-
formation bit (modulate), and a
receiving modem converts the tones
back to the original bits (demod-
ulate). A hook up to the telephone
line can be accomplished with two
different designs. Either direct
Or acoustically (which is Simply
cradling the actual telephone hand-
set in a sensitive pick-up device).
The direct method is by far the pre-
ferred design, and all Timex/Sin-
clair compatible modems are direct
connected.

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The Timex/Sinclair 1000 has
for several years now had the Oppor-
tunity to utilize the benefits of
telecommunications, thanks to the
efforts of the Byte-Back Company in
Leesville, South Carolina. Their
"MD" modem line has been available
in both kit and fully assembled and
tested forms. One unique feature
all of their modems have, is a. RS-
232 port, which allows for the con-
nection of a full size printer.
This feature alone adds fine value .
to an already exceptional product. !
Today the Byte-Back Co. has upgraded
the MD-2 modem to operate on the TS
2068. It is called the MD-68, and
sells for $120 as a kit, and. $150

. fully assembled.

10

The Timex Computer Corporation
had plans for a modem all their own.
One that would be compatible with
the TS 1000/1500 and the TS 2068. In
pact, it was once said that the TS

J68 was designed around the idea of
personal computer telecommunications.
But pipe dreams suddenly faded when
Timex pulled the plug on their conm-
puter line. All was not lost though.
Westridge Communications, the company
that Timex had contracted to produce
their modem, decided to go ahead
and release it under their name in-
stead. Thus, the Westridge TS 2050
was finally born. The TS 2050 re-
tails for $120.

If a modem is the heart of com-
puter telecommunication, then the
software that operates it is the
brain of the modem. Most modem soft-
ware is considered to be "smart" or
intelligent. That is, it can per-
form several different operations
and functions. Examples can include
automatically dialing a phone nun-
ber from the keyboard, auto-answer
incoming calls from another terminal,
printing capabilities off the screen,
and even file storage of phone num-
=bers and log-on data. Some sophis-
‘icated software like Byte-Back Co's
ZCOMM for the MD-68 and Westridge's
optional MTERM II for the TS 2050,
can up-load or down-load information
into a buffer for use later on. This
feature is especially valuable for
sending pre-prepared texts or ob-
taining files and programs from a
data base.

Timex/Sinclair enthusiasts
might have another option when con-
templating a modem purchase. There
are universal modem adaptors and
interfaces that might be suitable
for a TS computer. These devices
can be found in the back of elec-
tronic and computer trade magazines,
and in some of the larger computer
retail stores. With such an adaptor,
most modems on the market would be
made accessible, including the pop-
ular and inexpensive Volksmoden,
manufactured by Anchor Automation,
the parent company of Westridge Conm-
munications. The Volksmodem has a
retail list price of a mere $70.

Most modems on the market are
powered by an external AC step down
transformer, like the Westridge 20-

50 modem. However, some like the
modems from Byte-Back Co. are de-
Signed to use the computers inter-
nal power supply via the rear card
connector. The Volksmodem on the
other hand is portable, and is pow-
ered by a nine volt battery that is
reported. to last a full year under
normal useage.

Both the Westridge and the
Byte-Back modems (and the Volks-
modem) have a baud rate of 300,
which explains their budget pric-
ing. Baud rate is the speed that a
modem sends data over the telephone
line. A 300 rate figures out to be
approximately 30 characters per sec-
ond. For about twice the money,
there are modems that transmit and
receive at 1,200 baud. That's four
times faster than 300 baud. The 300
rate works just fine for most home
applications, and won't put a strain
on your pocket book either.

It is good to know that TS
users haven't been left out in the
cold when it comes to computer tele-
communications, and a choice of
modem equipment. Thanks to efforts
from both Westridge and Byte-Back
Co. Now a whole galaxy of special
services and features are available
at our fingertips. Almost any con-
mercial data base or BBS can be
accessed, because both modem com-
panies have included parameters that
are adjustable, such as full/half
duplex, parity, and choice of stop
bits and word lengths. If experi-
menting is your game, you may want
to try adapting some other modem to
your TS computer. Others have tried
it, and have come up with some sat-
isfactory results.

For further information write to:

Byte-Back Co.
What oye BOR SiS
Leesville, S.C.

Brodie Rd.
29070

Westridge Communications
6624 Valjean Ave.
Van Nuys, CA 91406

A REVIEW OF THE
MTERM I

By Tim Woods

SMART SOFTWARE FOR THE WESTRIDGE TS 2050 MODEM AND THE TIMEX/SINCLAIR 2068

I was really pleased with my
Westridge TS 2050 Modem when it ar-
rived the middle of last summer.
Putting it through the paces was a
breeze. I felt that the whole pack-
age including the MTERM/T Smart Ter-
minal Software was really top-notch.
The user manual was very clear and
self-explanatory. A slick phrase
came to my mind. One that had been
printed in-the sales brochures of
the TS 2068..."nothing so smart was
ever so simple." Oddly enough, it
seemed to fit.

Take two. Enter the MTERM II,
the optional Smart Terminal Software
from Westridge Communications (li-
censed from Micro-Soft, Inc.) for
the TS 2050 Modem and the TS 2068
Color Computer. For many months, re-
ports had been circulating about the
soon-to-arrive "Smart II" modem
software, and how many wonerous
feats it performs. I was finally
able to obtain a copy from a local
dealer for $30. Upon first glance,

I noticed that it wasn't called
"Smart II" after all, but MTERM II
instead. Opening up the little stub-
by user manual (I usually make a
habit of reading the manual first,
it really does save time in the long
run) a funny but distraught feeling
came over me. Here was a program
with perhaps. ten times the complex-
ity of the stock software that comes
with the Westridge modem, and it is
supplied with a manual that is only
nine pages longer than the original
user manual, with much smaller

pages at that!

On page one of the user manual
is an outline of the features incor-
porated in the MTERM II:

1. automatic computer an-
swering

2. automatic computer dial-
ing

3. auto-dial directory

4. 27k receive/send buffer

5S. buffer can be erased,
viewed, printed or
transmitted

6. 10 Macro Keys, each hold
up to 53 characters for
auto-logon, codes, ect.

7. go in and out of the pro-
gram, change settings,
turn buffer on and off,
without losing data.

8. command line, displaying
status of functions and
features.

9. a HEX or REM conversion
routine.

So the features are all there,
learning how to access and utilize
them is a whole different story.
Apparently, Westridge has inten-
tionally (or unintentionally) omit-
ted page after page of vital infor-
mation, especially pertaining to
up-loading and down-loading of data.
In fact, complete volumes could be
penned about the MTERM II! Essen-
tially, all of the standard features
of the original software are there,
along with a host of new ones.

There are a few more sub-menus too.
Loading the cassette tape takes
around 50 seconds (thats fast!).
The program is almost 100% Machine
Code.

After about a week of experi-
menting, and a good deal of "touch
and go", I. was able to execute about
3/4 of the program. Also, to my
good fortune, I was given a sheet
of instructions that were written
by a Mr. Dave Clifford, 13910 Hall-
dale Ave., Gardena, CA, 90249.
Evidently, Mr. Clifford has done a
lot of homework on the MTERM II, and
has discovered most of the missing
procedures. The functions that are
noted on the sheet are 1. how to

exchange a BASIC program via the
buffer transmitter, and 2. how to
A9 a "page send". There are also

me extra control codes that are
mentioned. EDITOR NOTE: When we
contacted Mr. Clifford by phone,
he said that he would be more than
happy to pass on this information
to anyone who sends him a request
and includes a business size self-
addressed and stamped envelope.
Since this review was written, he
has also figured out the routine
for writing text in REM statements,
then uploading or downloading at
the users convenience. Mr. Clifford
also reported on a utility pro-
gram that is available from Micro-
Soft that can be merged with the
MTERM II, and will allow the user
to upload Machine Code and stored
variables.

In conclusion, I don't feel
this program is for everyone. It
provokes some frustration. Most
average users of the Westridge TS
2050 Modem would be just as happy
using the software that came with

.their modem. However, if the added
senefits of memory storage to assist
you in loging-on to your favorite
BBS, and uploading and downloading
of data (like BASIC programs) in-
terests you, then this software
package is for you. But you will

be spending some time with it. In
the meatime, Westridge Communica-
tions should rewrite their user
manual, and include several items
that they forgot to explain. I'm
sure it had to do with their hasti-
ness in coming out with the MTERM II.

Actually, after awhile, and

when several things had been worked

out, I began to feel more comfort-
able with the MTERM II. I really
like the "command line" feature at

the bottom of the main menu. Among
the reports it gives, is how many
bits have been used in the buffer
(a buffer by the way, is a kind of
temporary memory). With all of the
complexity of this progran, there
still is a small degree of user-
-~friendliness tucked away in there.

©

13

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By Dennis Jurries

EDITOR NOTE: The staff of Time
Designs Magazine welcomes Dennis
Jurries, who contributed several
interesting features in this issue.
Dennis is a mechanical engineer
with interests in electronics and
home computers. He founded the
Clackamas County Timex Sinclair
Users Group about three years ago,
and is currently working at writ-
ing for various newsletters and
computer magazines. Dennis is also
working on an analog tracer for
the TS 2068. The tracer will

allow the user to trace a picture
or drawing, and the image will
appear on the screen and be save-
able in the computer. Look for
other features on advanced pro-
gramming techniques in up-coming
issues of Time Designs Magazine,

_from Dennis Jurries.

eS

The following is a routine
that will work on the TS 2068,
and with address modifications,
on the TS 1000. You can. save
screen displays, or use it to
relocate a program in memory
from one address to another. The
program as it is written here,
will allow three screen displays
to be stored and recalled in
approximately 0.04 seconds.

The screen display on the
TS 2068 is located at address
16384 and takes up 6912 bytes
of memory.

Machine code loader and MC

so AES TSC

fet Ect PLD bee be

RUN and DELETE 5,20

If you wish to allow space
for more, the two 174's in line
20 will have to be reduced by 27
for each extra screen display,
and the addresses in lines 5 and
10 will have to be reduced by
6912 for each extra screen. Be
sure to check to see if you have
enough memory to add the extra
screens,

LOAD in or design your first
screen display. Type RAND (single
key) USR 44610 and press ENTER to
store the first screen. POKE 44615,
201 for the second screen display
set up.

LOAD in or design your second
screen display. Press RAND USR 44610

and ENTER to store the second screen.

To set up for the third screen dis-
play, type POKE 44615,228.

LOAD in or design your third
screen display. Press RAND USR
44610 and ENTER to store the third
screen. The USR-.addresses will
change by 6912 for each extra
screen display over the three set
up here.

To recover nay screen displays:
POKE 44620,174 for screen #1
POKE 44620, 201 for screen #2
POKE 44620,228 for screen #3

and press RAND USR 44618

For any extra screens, change
address 44618 to 6912 less than
44618 for each extra screen, and
the same for address 44620. The
value of the number poked into
address 44620 changes by 27 for
each screen, and will also do so

for any extra screen displays.

To save your screen displays,
press SAVE "name" CODE 44610,2075
6. If more than three screen dis-
plays are to be saved, then change
the first number after the CODE
to the new starting address, and
add 6912 times the number of screens
in excess of three to the second
number.

OP-CODES for machine code

Te fe oe

COC cr ere ere ere ere

fi fn ff fa fe fe
fo ff fo fo fas fo fo

address change?

Please notify us as soon as
possible of an address change
so that continuation of your
subscription will go on with-
out an interruption of service.
Send us your name, subscriber
ID number, and your new mail-
ing address.

‘14

—

If you were like most Timex/
Sinclair 2068 users, you probably
wondered if there was going to be
life after the departure of Timex
from the computer market. Although
the picture looked rather bleak,
there was still a ray of hope.
Sinclair Research in Great Britain
was stronger than ever, and their
48k ZX Spectrum had taken the nun-
ber one spot in total sales (in
England). Software and hardware
Support are short of amazing for
this computer. The Timex/Sinclair
2068 is basically a Spectrum with
a few additions like a programmable
three channel sound chip, joystick
ports, and memory bank switching.
What Timex engineers also slightly
changed was the ROM operating
System. For this reason, most Spec-
trum software programs will not
run on a TS 2068.

Doug Dewey, one of the found-
ers of the successful Triangle
Sinclair User Group in Carrboro,
North Carolina, first pioneered a
way to make the Spectrum software
(and hardware) compatible with the
TS 2068. He solicited the aide of
the Timex Corp., who had plans for
a Spectrum "emulator", called the
"Chameleon". Using the Timex plans
for reference, Doug Dewey success-
fully constructed an emulator that
plugged into the cartridge port of
the TS 2068. Dewey's EMU-1 Spectrum
Emulator sells for $60 (includes
postage), and is basically a small
bare circuit board with an EPROM
that is programmed to imitate the.
Spectrum ROM operating system. For
further information (and/or order-
ing), write to: Doug Dewey, 206
James .St; , Carrboro; .N.C.,:-27510.
We have contacted Mr. Dewey, and
he is going to supply us with an
EMU-1 for a review in this magazine,
hopefully for our next issue. He |
also gave plans for a new board that

15

TS 2068 / SPECTRUM -WARES

he is developing that will allow
a user to use both the Spectrum

ROM and programmable EPROMS with
a switch between the two systems.

Other enterprising individuals

have also developed Spectrum ROM
conversion kits for the TS 2068.

Perhaps the most bare bones .ap-

proach, is simply opening up the
TS 2068 and directly swapping the
TS 2068 ROM chip with a Spectrum

ROM. Several suppliers carry the
series three Spectrum ROMs, includ-
ing: Pheonix Enterprises, Foote

Software, E. McGhee, and the Long
Island Sinclair Timex Group (Center-
port, NY). Prices vary from $20 to
$30. Another approach is Russell
Electronic's “Romswitch", that is
reviewed in this issue. There is
also some construction plans for a
small board that fits inside the TS
2068 and includes a switch to ac-
tivate the Spectrum ROM. It is
available in the form of a reprint-
ed article from Sinclair/Timex
Users Magazine. For information,
send legal size S.A.S.E. to: SUM,
c/o 3224 NW .30th Ave.,:Gainesville,
FL. 326058. 5: :

Available now to TS 2068 users
is a huge inventory-of software
titles (over 5,000 strong), that
are from Great Britain, where pro-
grammers have been busy at. work
since 1982, when the first ZX Spec-
trum hit the streets. Most of the
programs are quite superb. Every-
thing rom very useful business pro-
grams, to visually exciting arcade
games, and some tasty utility -pro-
grams also. Not ecnly can you order
them direct by mail from overseas,
but many U.S. TS retailers are
stocking up on Spectrum titles. As
far as hardware add-ons go, this

is still being explored. There are
many fine peripherals for the Spec-
trum such as the Sinclair Micro-
Drives, 80 column printers, voice

~

~

boxes, and light pens. The question
is just how many of these items

will work directly with the TS
2068 (with Spectrum ROM), with-
out modification. It should also
be pointed out that a very small
percentage of Spectrum software
will not run on a modified TS 2068
for some underlying technical rea-
sons. We will be discussing this
topic further, -along with a list-
ing of compatible and non-compat-
ible software, in future issues of
Time Designs Magazine.

"TS 2068/Spectrum-Wares" will
be a regular feature now in these
pages. We feel that the TS 2068
has had a sort of "re-birth", and
has returned back to its roots,
with an operating system originally
developed by its parent company...
Sinclair. We will keep you up-
date with software and hardware
reviews, and any news of interest
in this area.

©

ANT
ATTACK

SOFTWARE REVIEW

By Tim Woods

I had heard of this program
before the Timex Computer Corp. had
gone bust. So when Quicksilva an-
nounced that they would not be pro-
ducing this program for the TS 2068,
I was greatly disappointed. Now that
my 2068 is modified to run Spectrum
software, like so many other owners
have done, obtaining quality soft-
ware for my computer is no problen.
In fact Quicksilva has just come out
with 18 Spectrum programs only pre-
viously available in Great Britain.

16

I must confess that arcade style
games don't really do much for me,
except that I am constantly ex-
ploring this type of program, to
see how the art of computer graphics
and animation has evolved to where
it is today. One particular arcade
game of note, that is not available
for Sinclair computers, is ZAXXON.

It has fantastic 3D graphics. Ant
Attack is also a 3D game.

Not only are there instructions
inside Ant Attack's standard cassette
packaging, but also a short lavishly
imaginative story. For any newcomer
to Quicksilva's games, this is stan-
dard fanfare on all of their soft-
ware. (who thinks up all of those
names anyway?) The instructions then-
selves were rather brief. The controls
are four lower row keys for movement,
four "grenade" firing keys in the
next higher row, and four other keys
for 3D view scans. The game is not
joystick compatible.

The game opens up with the
hero at the front gate of a huge
desolate ancient city. The hero
can either be boy or girl, the user
has to select (no chauvinism here!).
He or she must rescue their opposite
sex counterpart who is trapped in-
Side the 3D city, which is similar
to a maze. You must rescue the
victim before time expires, and
escape back through the city gate
without getting “ate alive" by the
ants. To aid you in your rescue, you
are supplied with 20 grenades that
you can throw down at the ants,
after climbing (using "jump" key)
up on one of the many structures.
There is also a box in the lower
right-hand corner that flashes when
you are headed in the correct direc-
tion of the person to be rescued.
Each person can withstand 20 ant-
bites before they die. The score,
time expired, grenades left, and how
many bites sustained are constantly
displayed.

The city maze is the same in
each game that is played. It is a
large city, but certain landmarks
become quickly recognizable. The

person in distress is placed random-
ly in a different spot for each
--zame. However, for the first game
hat is played, the victim is al-
most always placed right in plain
view. It gradually gets more dif-
ficult. Sometimes the person is
tucked away in some little nook
that is barely visible. When the
hero reaches the victim, the screen
flashes the message "my hero, take
me away from all of this!" I have
found that you must stay right with
the rescued person or your escape
from the city will not work, and
possibly you might get seperated.
Quicksilva calls the 3D build-
ings "Soft Solid" graphics, and has
applied for a patent for this pro-
cess. There are some interesting
designs within the city. Pyramid
and ''sand castle" type construction
is most predominate. The girl and

boy are rather small figures, but
have natural movement, especially
when jumping. The ants are some-
what fat like a beetle, but are
perhaps the most interesting part
,-of the program. Their movement is
sporadic and sometimes frenzied.
There are a couple of "bugs"
in the game (besides the ants then-
selves). First, the screen can
occaisonally scroll out of view of
the hero, which can cause some prob-
lems seeing where you are going. To
remedy this, you have to use the
scanning keys to bring the hero back
in sight. Secondly, the grenades
that you throw down at the ants, are
not accurate at all. You could throw
one directly on an ant without de-
stroying it, while at the same time

an hit nearby could kill several of .'

them in the same vicinity. One other
bothersome feature, is the awk-

ward controlling of the hero with
the movement keys. It is quite dif-
ficult to master a smooth travel-
ing hero, and takes some practice.

A joystick feature would be ideal.

l/

I must say that it was worth
the long wait to obtain this in-
teresting game program. While other
computer games might hold my interest
as far as playability for longer
periods of time, this one intrigued
me with its original concepts and
remarkable graphics. I am especially
fond of the sophisticated 3D buildings
some of which have intricate tunnels,
doorways, and stairsteps. The ants
were quite a hit also. This Spectrum
software has also given me an ex-
ceptional appetite to indulge in
other Spectrum software.

prtee:$19.95 (U.S.)
available frxom:Quicksilva, Inc., 426
West Nakoma, San Antonio, Texas,

78216.

, RUSSELL ELECTRONICS

ROMSWITCH |

Most computer users, except
for a select group of "do-it-
yourselfers" and experimenters,
would be horrified at the thought
of opening up their computer and
installing a small circuit board.
Well the folks at Russell Electro-
nics have almost totally eliminated
the fears and risks involved in
such an operation, by offering a
kit that requires no soldering, no
drilling, and no technical exper-
tise. The "Romswitch" is simply. a
tiny circuit board that is inserted
into the socket of the TS 2068 ROM
chip that has been removed carefully,
then inserted into the empty socket
on the Romswitch board. Also, on
the board is the Spectrum ROM (type
three), and a magnetic reed switch
assembly. With the Romswitch in
place, the TS 2068 user can utilize
almost any software written for the
48k ZX Spectrum. 2

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Proper placement of the Romswitch board.
Note: location is upper left of the cart-
ridge port.

The stick-on magnet switch reads either
Spectrum or TS 2068.

The beauty of the Romswitch
is the capability of switching be-
tween both the TS 2068 and Spectrum
ROM operating systems, by sliding
the large magnet "switch" assembly
that is affixed to the TS 2068s
case by means of a pressure sens-
itive adhesive tape. This is where
the Romswitch received its name.
Once the blue magnetic slider is
positioned properly next to the 0
key and directly above the previous-
ly installed board, you are in bus-

iness.

Russell Electronics has docu-
mented each assembly step quite
thoroughly in their instruction
packet. Almost any question that
one might have, has been answered.
The completeness of their instruc-
tions is a rare "plus", and a. feat-
ure that is rarely included in most
kits that we have seen for TS re-
lated products. There are very few

risks involved here. The biggest
perhaps is static electricity dis-
charge or a broken-off chip pin.
Again we recommend following the
excellent instructions provided,
and use patience and common sense.
This will more than gurantee a
perfect installation. With our
sample Romswitch kit, we installed
it in less than fifteen minutes in
our TS 2068.

When using the Romswitch, it
is necessary to turn the power off
when switching from the Timex to
the Spectrum ROM (or vice versa),
otherwise, the computer will crash.
Although this requires an additional
step, it really isn't a problen.
You will know that you are in the
Spectrum mode both because the
switch will tell you, and as the
computer initializes, only the Sin-
clair copyright report will appear
on the screen. Programming in BASIC
is exactly the same in this mode,
but some of the keyboard charac-
ters have been changed.

We feel that the Russell
Electronics Romswitch is a valu-
able addition to the TS 2068, and
extraordinarily easy to install.
Although at first we thought that
the price of $54.95 (includes post-
age) was somewhat high, after
obtaining some excellent Spectrum
programs and using them on our
Timex, we began to reconsider our
first impressions. The Romswitch
is a big improvement over direct
replacement of a Spectrum ROM in
a TS 2068, and so far to date, has
run every program that we have
loaded, and has never failed. We
recommend the Romswitch without
reservation. Good work Russell
Electronics!

For more information: Russell
Electronics, RD 1, Box 539, Centre
Hall, PA, 16828

COMPUTER PROJECT NO. 2

The computer chip manufac-
turing industry has spent millions
in building specially designed
facilities. They are 99.9% free
from common static electricity,
which can destroy certain IC chips
that are static sensitive, in an
Such a facility might have equip-
ment that removes static from the
environment, specially treated
floor and work services, and the
employees wear certain garments
and shoes. While an electronic
hobbyist connot afford such state
of the art apparatus in his own
home workshop, the hazards of
static electricity discharge are
every bit as real.

Zapped computer chips such as
microprocessors and logic chips,
ROM, EPROMs, CMOS and MOS chips
are not much fun, and certainly

7 quite costly to replace. Although
seasoned experimenters may rarely
come across many problems in this
area, special handling procedures
need to be observed. This usually
entails one or more of the follow-
ing:

1. Carefully open up the
computer's case, and use minimal
handling around the circuit board,
chips, and other internal parts.
Power should always be off.

2. Right before removing
or installing a computer chip, dis-
charge the static electricity that
has built up in your body by touch-
ing a grounded object (i.e. drain
pipes, center screw of an electri-
Cai. outdet- ect; }.

3. Store all. static sen-
sitive chips in the special anti-
static foam that they come packed
in. er ,

4. Take into consideration
several situations. that are more

prone to static, such as low humid-
ity (dry weather), lightning storms,
body friction on synthetic materials,

19

MAKE A STATIC DISCHARGE BRACELET

and electric forced fan heaters
and clothes dryers.

With a good deal of interest
in Spectrum ROM swapping with the
Timex/Sinclair 2068, and EPROM
packages, "do it yourself" computer
servicing is-on the rise. Most
Spectrum ROM conversion kits come
complete with precautionary instru-
ctions to use in avoiding static
electricity damage, however, this
does not necessarily remove the
risks.

There is a device that many
professional computer service tech-
nicians use to get around the prob-
lem of static safely. It is called
a "static discharge bracelet". The
bracelet simply is a metal strip
that is strapped around the wrist,
with a long wire that is soldered
to the band at one end, and attach-
ed to gound by means of an alligator
clip at the other end. The person
wearing the bracelet is securely
grounded, rendering. any static dis-
charge harmless. You can make your
own bracelet at home for a few dol-
lars. All of. the parts are easily
obtained.

1. Strip of foam-type
weatherstripping, 3/4"
to 1" wide, and long
enough to wrap comfort-
ably around your wrist.
with an extra inch to
spare.

2. “S/4" wide etekp of

- copper foil, approx.

the same lenghth as.

the foam strip with-

out the extra inch.

(The copper foil can

be found at hobby/craft

stores or large piuming

shops.)

Two Velcro strips

4. 48" o¢-longer piece of
insulated electrical wire.

WN

FOAM STRIP

GROUND ees

RUBBER BOOT a

WIRE SOLDERE
COPPER STRIP

PUNCHED HOLE
— Tr

VELCRO

O

RESISTOR ee Nes

5. One 1/4 watt mega-
ohm resistor.

6. One medium-size alli-
gator clip with a rub-
ber boot.

7. A piece of vynl elec-
trical tape.

Peel off the paper backing of
the foam weatherstrip and attach to
the copper foil strip. Attach the
Velcro strips to each end of the
bracelet (either glue or sew a
stitch), observe the illustration
for proper placement. Punch a small
hole thru the foam and copper strips
and insert one end of the wire with
1/4"' of insulation stripped from
the end. Solder the wire to the cop-
per foil, and cover with a small
piece of electrical tape, so that
the solder joint won't scratch a
bare arm (it also acts as a strain
relief). On the other end of the
wire, strip 1/4" of insulation and
slip the boot of the alligator clip
over the wire end. Solder the mega-
ohm resistor to the wire, followed
by soldering on the alligator clip
itself. Slip the boot down over
the clip, and inspect all the sol-
der connections or places where
there might be bare wire showing,

and cover with more electrical
tape if necessary.

When using your static dis-
charge bracelet, strap it firmly
to your wrist, with the copper foil
contacting securely against. your
skin. Run the long piece of wire
to a known ground and attach with
the alligator clip. Now you can
safely handle computer-related
parts and chips as long as your
bracelet is properly working for
you. Wear your bracelet at all
times when you are engaged in such
activities...it could save you time
and money in the long run.

Special Note: Use caution
when cutting or handling the thin
copper foil strip. The edges are
extremely sharp and could cut you.
Make sure all sharp edges of the
foil are pointing away from your
arm, Or removed with a file.

©
20

BREAKING AND SAVING

EASILY MAKE BACK UP COPIES OF EX-
PENSIVE COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE TAPES
WITH THIS METHOD BY DENNIS JURRIES.
AT THE SAME TIME, LEARN HOW PRO-
FESSIONAL PROGRAMMERS STRUCTURE
THEIR MACHINE CODE PROGRAMS.

Most programs that you can
purchase for the TS 2068 when
loaded start running, and if you
try breaking into them, they dump,
lock up the computer, or will not
accept the break command. These
programs usually consist of a least
three programs in one. The first
part consists of a simple loader
that tells the computer to load the
SCREEN$, and to load the machine
code program, and may have some
BASIC program that intermixes with
the machine code program. The first
part may be hidden when you break

goito it by having the BOARDER, PA-
ER, and INK colors all the same.
Change the paper color if this is
so, and relist it. You may have to
MERGE a line, such as "1 STOP".
The MERGE command disengages the
auto-start function and thus any
command that would normally prevent
you from breaking into the program.

The following procedure works
in all cases.

MC -machine code program
name. .

BASIC -basic program name.

SCREEN -screen string program
name.

1. LOAD the program until the screen
display is displayed, then BREAK
and LIST. If the program dumps
or locks up, then MERGE a line
and LIST. This listing will give
you the starting address of the
machine code-(found in the line

_-~ RAND USR #), the'name of the MC,
and SCREEN$ programs.

2068 PROGRAMS

By Dennis Jurries

LOAD the MC program (LOAD "MC"
CODE).

PEEK the MC program looking for
the length. This can be done by
looking in the MC until you find
a long group of Os (say 96).

SAVE "BASIC"LINE 1

SAVE "SCREEN"SCREEN$

SAVE "MC"CODE #1; #2
#1 is the starting address
from RAND USR. #2 is the
length of the MC routine,
determined by subtracting
the starting address from
the ending address found
when you peeked the.'MC and
found the start of the Os,
or by using the top of
memory 65535.(ie. say start
address from RAND USR 420
00: 65535-42000=23535 then
SAVE "MC"CODE -42000, 23535).

After completing the above,
and VERIFYING each step, ex-
cept SCREEN$, press NEW and
LOAD the program copy that
you have just made, and try .-
at Our.

NOTE: You may want to delete any

of the statements that would
not allow you to break the
original program, before you
start saving the program.
Some of these commands are:
ON ERR and POKE 23613, 87. ~
DELETE them if -you want to.

©

GOOD LUCK!!!

PROGRAMS

PIE CHART For the TS 2068

By Bill Gunter
Sacramento, CA

The author states

that "I think it would

be nice if it were possible
to somehow label each sec-
tion of the pie chart," Does
anyone have any ideas?

For the TS: 1000/ZxX81

BOXES

By Stephen Brothers
Aurora, CO

Katy

TH chs Gan BD
HHL

G3 (0 f
c

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re

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-
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iT

FOR K=G TO d

PLOT H,K

PLOT G,K

NEXT K

Li f- d=3-2

IF J=21 THEN STOP
LET: H=H-2

LET G=G+2

G0TO 88

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(yr

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DECOM et Dey TCT
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REM
REM
REM
REM
DIM n{i5}
GO SUB 2a
BORDER 6:
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On. éi=2 T.
HPUT mii
RINT AT
EY £=54n
Ext
RINT AT
CHART
ET i j=@
FOR isi T
LET -d as (
LET yeien
LET d=i2z
LET a=Co5

INE.
PLOT x,:
IHK &

PRINT AT
PRINT AT
PRINT AT

ePRINT AT

, 1

rheaen 33

IF INKEY $="

GO TO i782
BORDER i:
CLS

PRINT AT
PRINT AT
PRINT AT
PRINT AT

PAUSE i190:

FEFFFFELZEEEE
# PIE CHART <=
= by BILLY =

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é

SOFTWARE REVIEWS

JRC Software has come up with
a good idea, Take 17 of your pro-
grams and put them all on one tape,
and sell your tape to the public.
They offer two program tapes in
this format, one for the TS 1000/
ZX81 called the "Supertape", which
contains 42 seperate programs! (I
will review the "Supertape" in the
March/April issue of T.D.M.) And
then there is the "Great Games and
Graphics Show", with the 17 pro-
grams for the TS 2068. An advantage
to using the TS 2068 with a soft-
ware package like this one, is that
all of the programs can be loaded
in at one time, and then called up
by the main menu. All of the games
and graphic-type things are on
side one of the tape, and on the
other side is an unusual text ed-
¢~ tor/word processor called the
BASY -EDITOR". Here is a brief
description/review of each one of
the short programs on side one of

the "Great Games and Graphics Show":

1. Oscilloscope: Very neat! Like
a laser light show, with ro-
tating graphics. '

2. Stary Sound: Planetarium style
stars display, with good sound
effect.

3. 3-D City: Good 3-D graphics
of tower-like buildings. See
the example provided.

4. Snowflakes: Interesting pat-
terns. :

5. Flashing Display: 0O.K., the

' flashing characters gave me
a headache though.

6. Polygons: Back to the title
screen. Where are the poly-
gons?.

7. Touch Type: I like this one,
for people like me who are

. basic "hunt ‘and peckers".

r. This is one of the better
typing/learning games I've
seen. Has different levels.

8. Trash Pack (Animation Demo):

THE GREAT GAME AND GRAPHICS SHOW

By Tom Judd

(CEE it a,
Rarsenin
"

wravnesetnenenssncreteeney
Ness

COC CUUCUOUTTT ie
AAR ARARARRAR,

nena nanenenenenenntn tenese sens M bees henenetetenene:
OEP OED eae:

aye fi oo

eee Rate
Ee
ae emcee eee ee ae

JRC Software

P.O. Box 448

Scottsburg, IN
47170

=.

2B

Simulated Pacman characters

without the Pacman game.

9. Lunar Lander Game: Slightly
better than standard game,

as far as graphics. Crash

report flashes too fast.

10. Etchsketch Pad: The old stan-
dard for kids. Good use of
colors, and has some added
features like- saving to
tape, inverse, ect.

11. Dodge-em Game: Genuine fun
game! Would have been nice
to have a running score, but
does keep track of score at
the end, with previous high
scores. Simple... uses only -..-
one key, but challenging.

12. 3-D Graph: Three graph planes
stacked. Fast and simple.

LS.. 1268 Line Graphics: Also fast,
and slightly interesting.

14. Big Star: The old "Spiral-
Graph" type graphics.

15. Sine Wave Curves: 3 Sine
waves, each with a shadow
wave, plus a C major Chord
for music at the end.

16. Color Mode 2: Weird, colorful
pattern. Interesting.

The Easy Editor on side two
i$ written entirely in BASIC. Text
is entered in line numbers and REM
statements (usually one statement
for each paragraph). The editing
of text is done by using the cur-
sor arrows and DELETE. You can also
have "formated" text. Text files
can either be printed or saved in
D$. The feature I like the best, is
the choice of bold printing. It
looks great! While Easy Editor is
Simple, it is not the definition
of a fantastic text editor. You
might call it the "poor mans word
processor".

I liked the "Great Games and
Graphics" package, and it is a real
bargain for $24.95. There could
have been some better documentation
and packaging, but these are just

minor complaints. Highly recommended.

©

-
LULL
wane

Ld

“
Ma"
Ma's

”
Oone
vane

.4a0e

By Dennis Jurries

After trying to use the COM-
PASS Compiler for three days, and
becoming very frustrated, I de-.
cided to give up. This compiler is
the. best I have seen for the Timex
computer, but it still has a lot
of shortcomings. (Editor Note: as
far as we know, this is the only
integer Basic compiler that is
presently available for the TS 20
68) I believe that it can only be
used on less than 25% of your BA-
SIC programs. It cannot do curved
graphics because it will not con-
pile trig functions. Although the
instructions say that the program
Will compile PAUSE statements, I
found that the program seemed to
lock-up in a sloop when told to
compile PAUSE. The following are
BASIC commands that cannot be con-
piled: SQR, SIN, COS, TAN, INT,
and ABS. Also, RND is not totally
acceptable in the only form allowed
in BASIC for the compiler. The conm-

‘piler program appears to have been

offered for sale before it was conm-
pleted.

The assembler portion of the
program, although not on the level
of the Zeus Assembler (available
from Softsync), it is very well
written and has several features
that the Zeus does not have. It
allows for the addition of explan-
ations along side of the preassen-
bled listing of the op-codes. Also,
multiple op-code statements on each
line are allowed.

This Compass compiler/
assembler package will be a very
useful tool when the above con-
mands are incorporated into it.

24.

JRC Software

P.O. Box 448 |

‘Scottsburg, IN-
47170

=

2 PROGRAMS from:

coc

twin

BY ee Pe Ske

ee
Jue

J ini in

By Dennis Jurries

STRAITS OF HORMUZ

Personally, I don't usually
enjoy game programs other than to
take them apart to find programming
tips. This game program falls into
the thinking type category, rather
than the skill type program. Straits
Of Hormuz is very interesting and
challenging, and as the instructions
state...frustrating.

The object is to find and box-
in as many mines as you can. As you
move across the straits you will
hear beeps in each column that there
are mines. You will also hear beeps
as you go up the straits. Several
beeps in each row or column indicates
that there are several mines. Once
you have boxed in the mines, you exit

he straits and enter a more diff-

sult area. Torpedoes will be fired
across the straits, with more tor-
pedoes in the higher levels. The
torpedoes may destroy you or your
boxes which you will have to build.

I could not get very far. In

fact, the creator of the program in-
formed me that level five is as far
as he has made it. If you like think-
ing type games, then this one is for
you.

EXECUTIVE CLUE

This program is for those of
you that have played the board game,
and enjoyed it. Executive Clue plays
like the board game, in that you are
given a list of the potential mur-
derers, a list of the murder weapons,
and a picture of the rooms of the
house where the murder took place.
You have to remember the names of
the weapons and the names of the
potential murderers. By guessing and

valuating, you try to arrive at:
who did it, where, and with what?
This is a stimulating and enjoyable
program.

info
We accept user written programs
and.articies- of interest-..to TS
computer users, that are original
in. content... The Editor: of: Tine
Designs Magazine reserves the
right to select and choose which
program or article will be pub-
lished. Programs can be either
be written for the TS 1000/ZX81
or the TS 2068. They must be
listed by a clear computer print-
er, or preferably on a quality
cassette tape. Written articles
must be submitted as a typed
manuscript. We do not normally
return articles or programs, un-
less specifically requested by
the author and a correct return
address has been included.
We pay the following amount for.
articles or programs that we have
chosen to publish:

Articles
2 typed pages (84x11)
Oe ROR ls oan ee Ke ee $10
5 GF Bere * peges- ess $20

Programs

tose thas 25-13065 8s $5
2a Ge S04 66 oS te en $10
over 50 lines, the: longer

the better <: ..6<8 ae $20

All programs or articles that we
choose to publish in our magazine
become property of Time Designs
‘Magazine, although complete cred-
it will be given as to the author-
ship. Send your works to: Time
Designs Magazine, attn. Editor,
29722 Hult Rd. Colton, .0R8, 97017.

ad rates

Business card size ad (1/8 page).

One quarter page.....ccctesesseee. ‘it
ONG -RSAT DOGO v.56 os six 80s ee ats 6 6 ore, $15
4s & ey or. Sear ee er a ey ae oe $20

25

THE SHOPPING MART

NEW LIFE FOR YOUR TS2068?
YES! with

ROMSWITCH

Lets you run Spectrum programs on your TS2068!

* EASY INSTALLATION. No soldering, no drilling.

* Just plug inside your TS2068 freeing edge connector & cartridge
port for other uses.

* External Stick-on switch selects Spectrum or TS2068 ROM

* Thousands of good British programs available, many from U.S.
dealers incl.us

Price $54.95 assembled/tested, U.S. shipping incl.
Canadians add $2., overseas add $5. shipping

Information sheet, list of U.S/Can. retailers of Spectrum
cassettes, & our complete catalog free. TIMEX/SINCLAIR
ONLY
WINKY BORRD 2000 Cassette-computer interface for TS2068,
Spectrum, TS1000-1500, ZX81/80
* Solves your LOADing problems

* Duplicates any TS/ZX cassette
* User friendly. Simply plugs into jacks. cTRES
$22.95 assembled/tested, shipping incl. U.S/Can. LS

RUSSELL ELECTRONICS

RD 1 * Box 539 * Centre Hall, PA 16828 .
814-364-1325 MasterCard/Visa 10am-8pm Check/MO
SESS SRS SSR SPEER EER

WE'RE
KEEPING THE FLAME
BURNING BRIGHTLY

TT ALA

DeSighns

MAGAZINE

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

26

SPECTRUM ROM

SPECTRUM SOFTWARE

Considering interchanging your TS52068 ROM
with the Spectrum ROM?

We carry a comprehensive inventory of 48K
Spectrum software — arcade, adventure, busi-
ness and utilities for the TS2068/Spectrum.

Write for information and software brochure to

E. McGHEE
Suite 150, 10127 - 121 Street
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada TSN 3X]

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